Fire activity picks up in region
An air tanker drops a load of retardant on a brush fire on Friday, July 17, 2015, between Spirit Lake and Athol. (JAKE PARRISH/Hagadone News Network file photo
JAKE PARRISH/Press file Northern Lakes Fire Marshal Tyler Drechsel, left, and firefighter Tyler Denham work the fire line of a roughly one-acre fire on Monday, Aug. 8, 2016 on private property near Highway 53 and Honu Court. Lightning striking a tree sparked the fire.
SANDPOINT — Multiple new fires are taking hold in the Idaho Panhandle National thanks to a lightning storm on Thursday night, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
The Trestle Creek Fire, meanwhile, remained at approximately 40 acres. It is burning in heavy subalpine fir and fire behavior has been predominately torching and short-range spotting, forest officials reported. Resources on the scene include three Type 2 initial attack crews, 10 smokejumpers, two Forest Service engines with crews, a contract water tender, and an additional 15 local firefighters.
“Retardant drops and air attack have successfully limited fire spread despite the wind” the Forest Service said in a news release.
IPNF officials announced on Friday that temporary road and trail closures had to be implemented because of fire activity. Forest Service Road No. 275 (Trestle Creek Road) is closed north of the Huckleberry Campground. Also affected are Forest Service Road Nos. 1091, 419 (north of the washout). Trail Nos. 55, 57 and 526, in addition to Trail No. 120 north of Trestle Creek also are affected.
The agency released the following updates on other fires in the Sandpoint and Priest Lake ranger districts on Friday:
- The Rattle Creek Fire, also located on the Sandpoint Ranger District, is currently at .7 acres and being staffed by smokejumpers who are making good progress. The smokejumpers are expected to fully contain the fire tonight.
- Four small fires (Taffy Creek, Strawberry Creek, Lightning Creek, and Wylie) located on the Sandpoint Ranger District have been successfully controlled.
- The Reeder Mountain Fire located eight miles north of Nordman on the northeast side of Reeder Mountain, on the Priest Lake Ranger District, is approximately 8 acres. The fire is burning on a steep rocky slope. Due to the steep slopes and terrain, engines are not able to access the fire. Air resources and smokejumpers are deployed to the fire, with additional resources on order.
- The Nickel Fire, also located on the Priest Lake Ranger District, on the southeast side of Nickel Plate Mountain, was contained at 1/10 acre fire with the support of helicopter bucket drops.
- The Muskegon and Muskegon 2 Fires are both located north of Granite Pass, near Muskegon Lake. Crews are hiking into and will be on scene tonight.
- The North Fork Hughes Fire is located just north of Hughes Meadows on the Priest Lake Ranger District, just across the Washington State line. A lightning storm on June 28 sparked the fire and it smoldered for a few days before firefighters located it on July 4. The fire is about 70 acres and is being actively managed.
- Small fires contained on the Priest Lake Ranger District include the Little Granite Fire at 1/10 of an acre, Lakeview Mountain Fire at 1/2 an acre, and the Deerhorn Fire at 1/10 an acre.
“Lightning is notorious in this area for causing ‘holdover’ fires that can appear many days later,” the Forest Service said. “We are doing everything we can to suppress these fires as quickly, efficiently and, most importantly, as safely as possible.”